


the island

by canismajor (fallenluci)



Series: we have not touched the stars [2]
Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Gen, Post TFA, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-07
Updated: 2016-02-07
Packaged: 2018-05-18 18:52:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5939490
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fallenluci/pseuds/canismajor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rey doesn't expect it to be so hard to convince Luke to come home</p>
            </blockquote>





	the island

Part of Rey wonders if she would ever be able to leave the island.

The past week has been slow and difficult, Luke refusing to speak to her. Most of her days are spent trying to track him down to each new hiding spot, or familiarizing herself with her new 'home'. And seeing as Luke won't do it, she has taken it upon herself to further her training, to focus on that warm feeling in her stomach whenever she was calm. The Force. It's still a wild and largely unpredictable thing for Rey, but she knows it when she feels it. And the island makes it stronger than anything Rey has ever known.

 

-

 

"Finn is incredible, he's so brave and kind. It's really amazing."

Luke doesn't respond, he just keeps looking straight ahead while Rey talks. She doesn't let it deter her.

"It makes me wonder, all the stormtroopers, what if there were more like him, but just didn't break free in time? Didn't get lucky like Finn," Rey pauses for a moment, gauges Luke for a reaction, but he doesn't move. "I spoke with Poe about it - you know Poe, Poe Dameron? He told me you gave his parents a tree - anyway, he didn't like to think about it, because admitting it would mean admitting that he very easily could have killed Finn before he knew him, and that scares the both of us."

She doesn't really know what to expect, she's already tried this approach before, talking to Luke as though they are friends. Barreling through a one sided conversation until she decided it was time to go back and check on Chewie and R2, who were both becoming increasingly restless on the Falcon. She wanted to bring them up, but she didn't want to sabotage any progress she was making with Luke, and she didn't know if their presence would make it better or worse.

"I meant to ask General Leia about it, actually. I feel like she would have a good kind of insight to provide, but she was a little busy all the times I saw her-" Rey breaks off, swallowing hard. There are a lot of things she doesn't think about, let alone blurt out to the only other human for miles. But sometimes, her mind gets the better of her, and the tears come hot and fast without warning.

Turning away, Rey wipes her eyes bitterly with the heel of her hand, trying her best to compose herself. With the tears comes the scorching anger in her throat, and she fights hard not to snap at Luke, not to turn around and scream at him to listen to her.

"She's incredible, by the way," she chokes out, her voice cracking, "your sister. She misses you so much, and she really needs you now. A lot has happened, everyone's trying to recover."

It's getting dark, and Rey had tried to make her way down the steps at night once before, and has the marks for her trouble. The Falcon is almost comfortable to sleep in, when she curls herself up and tries her best not to sob herself to sleep. Some nights, it almost works. And then her reality comes crashing over her and she's lying there, gasping for breath and crying out for her family, Finn, Han, anyone who has ever shown her warmth or affection. It's exhausting, and repetitive.

Her hand closes around the lightsaber in her satchel. Wordlessly, she offers it out to Luke, like she does every time she's about to leave for the day. When he doesn't turn around, Rey sighs heavily.

"I'll be back tomorrow, same place?"

Luke doesn't answer, and that night, Rey cries herself to sleep.

 

-

 

The next day, after several hours of searching, Rey finds Luke down by the water.

"Hey, I think we'll leave tomorrow," she says when she reaches him, "running a bit low on portions, need to do a stock run. Of course, we wouldn't have to if you would just talk to me."

Rey doesn't know what it is, but today, she can barely keep a handle on her anger.

"It's not as though hundreds and thousands of people risked their lives to find that stupid map to lead me here. Not as though _entire planets_ have been destroyed by people so desperate for this information. Not as though people I know have _died_ trying to find _you_ ," her voice has risen to a shout, and she's crying again.

"You would think, after fighting so hard for peace when you were my age, that you would understand what we're all going through right now. Your sister? She's tearing herself to shreds trying to find you and bring you home. Fine, I get it, you don't care about me, I'm just some kid. But General Leia doesn't deserve this. I grew up hearing legends about you, so amazing and unbelievable that they were treated like myths. Now I can see why. What kind of hero are you?"

As usual, Luke doesn't respond; Rey doesn't even see a flicker of expression on his face. She clenches her fists, it's all she can do to keep from screaming.

"I don't know if I'll be back. Maybe we'll decided that we can win this war without you. Hey, maybe we'll all be killed and then Kylo Ren will scavenge the map from your sister's dead body, and then they'll come to finish you off as well."

She turns on her heel, ready to leave, when Luke finally speaks.

"He's dead, isn't he."

It's not a question, there is no hope in Luke's voice. Only cold acceptance. And it stops Rey dead in her tracks, melts the anger right out of her.

Rey turns back to him, observing him for a moment. He's so beaten, huddled in on himself, living on his own on some nameless island far away from civilization. How did he find his way out here? What were those first few days like? Alone and cold and lost. She can hardly say that she regrets saying what she did, or that she understands his decision, but for just a moment, all she can feel is the deepest sense of pity for this sad, broken man.

"You could tell?"

Luke doesn't respond except for a shaky breath, so low and quiet, Rey almost misses it.

"Yes, Han is dead. Kylo Ren killed him, and then he tried to kill me. Almost killed Finn. And before that, he had killed countless others. And something tells me that he isn't about to stop any time soon."

"And what makes you think I will be able to stop him," Luke's voice is harsh from what could be years of disuse mixed with the unbearable weight of being alive.

Rey shrugs. "In all honesty, it doesn't really matter. This isn't just about you, or me. This is about everyone, and what they will do when they see your return. You had dreams about a new generation of Jedi. It isn't lost yet."

She expects him to brush her off, to tell her she is being naive. She expects him to tell her that he just can't put everything he has left on the line again, only to be hurt for a second time. What she doesn't expect is for him to stand, and turn to look at her properly for the first time since the day she arrived.

"I never wanted to do this again, but it's seems you won't take no for an answer. Rey, come with me. There are many things I need to tell you."


End file.
